SUPPORT THE LOOP // You love the Loop. So let us send you the official Loop coffee mug for a gift of $20. All the while, you’ll help the Loop provide you with great coverage all year. Wake. Brew. Loop. http://cvote.it/supporttheloop
SUPREME COURT // Justice Ted Cruz? No, says Trump campaign manager Kellyanne Conway. “President-elect Trump has committed to choosing his Supreme Court justices, particularly the vacancy created by the untimely death of Justice Scalia. He’s committed to choosing from that list of 21.” http://cvote.it/2fXituK
CATHOLIC // Bishop Anthony Basil Taylor of the Diocese of Little Rock wrote: “I am grateful that we will soon have a president who has promised to name Supreme Court justices who are opposed to abortion.” But Bishop Taylor also called the election a “mixed blessing” because of Trump’s “divisive rhetoric.” http://cvote.it/2fXi7V0
SENATE // Some conservatives are eager to pass legislation quickly and they’re calling for an end to the Senate’s filibuster, which often requires 60 votes before laws. But Sen. Orrin Hatch, a leading Republican on the Judiciary Committee, says he wants to keep the filibuster. “It’s the only way to protect the minority, and we’ve been in the minority a lot more than we’ve been in the majority. It’s just a great, great protection for the minority,” he said. http://cvote.it/2fXlF9T
SPENDING // House Republicans were on the verge of restoring earmarks on spending bills. Earmarks are spending provisions that direct approved funds to be spent on specific projects. Critics say earmarks lead to government overspending and possibly corruption. House Speaker Paul Ryan stopped a vote to bring these earmarks back. http://cvote.it/2fXi0bQ
BANNON // Former Breitbart CEO Steve Bannon has been named to a key post in the Trump White House. To understand ‘how Steve Bannon sees the world,’ Buzzfeed published a speech he delivered by Skype to an international conference of religious conservatives in Vatican City. His 2014 speech — before Brexit and Trump’s election — talks about a Tea Party movement taking off in countries all across the globe. http://cvote.it/2gjuxuj
CATHOLIC // Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, the new president of the U.S. Bishops, is adamant about standing with all vulnerable persons — including the unborn and immigrants. http://cvote.it/2gjAFCv
ON THIS DAY // 2003 – Arnold Schwarzenegger is elected governor of California. http://cvote.it/2fXdOJe
SAINT // Saint Elizabeth of Hungary – http:/cvote.it/DailySaint
DAILY READINGS // Today’s readings – http://cvote.it/Daily-Readings
TRUTH // 7 lessons from Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. http://cvote.it/2gjvClR